Solomon's Temple and Freemasonry's Origins

Solomon's Temple

One of the most important stories in Freemasonry is Judaic in origin. Freemasons refer to themselves as 'speculative' as opposed to 'operative' in order to distinguish themselves from stonemasons who actually cut stone and build walls or whatever. But the origins of the Craft definitely do lay in stone working and Freemasonry could have sprung out of the 'Guild' to which stonemasons belonged. Be that as it may, Freemasons have a special reverence for Solomon's Temple, which was built in Jerusalem in Old Testament times. In particular they identify with what appears to be a mythical character by the name of Hiram Abiff. In Freemasonic legend Hiram Abiff was the master craftsman in charge of the building of Solomon's Temple. He knew all the secrets of the Temple's design and construction and some of his workers were jealous of the fact. They tried to bully him into divulging these secrets and when he refused, a number of the workers killed him and hid his body. In the legend King Solomon sent out to recover the body of Hiram Abiff and punished his murderers. A great deal of Freemasonic ritual is directly associated with this particular myth - for which there is no historical or even biblical verification. What the Bible does suggest is that King Solomon employed Hiram, King of Tyre to build his Temple and it is likely that the story of Hiram Abif began as a result of this Bible story. Masonic Halls, or Temples as they are often called, often symbolically replicate certain characteristics of Solomon's Temple as they are explained in the Old Testament of the Bible.

Different Versions of the Truth

Different groups of Freemasons have alternative stories as to how, when and why Freemasonry came into existence. Many Scottish Freemasons are adament that Freemasonry is extremely old and that it started here, at Kilwinning Abbey, in 1140 when the abbey was founded by French monks. They suggest that the first masons to meet in the Chapter House of the abbey formed themselves into a lodge and they met there regularly until the late 16th century when the abbey was destroyed.

After this the Kilwinning Lodge continued meeting within the town until around 1779 when a hall was built and Freemasons still meet on more or less the same spot today.

The English Tradition

English Freemasonry, at least as far as those running it are concerned, began when a number of existing Masonic Lodges came together on 24th June 1717 in London and formed themselves into what they called The Grand Lodge of England. Grand Lodge still exists and does not generally concern itself too much with anything Freemasonic that took place before 1717.

Operative and Speculative

There is a distinction between a lodge of Stonemasons formed for trade and mutual aid purposes, which is known as 'operative Freemasonry' and a lodge of Freemasons in the modern sense, who refer to themselves as 'speculative masons'. Hardly anyone doubts that in one way or another operative masons eventually became speculative Freemasons.

There is much more to Freemasonry than has been explained on the preceding two pages but I hope readers will get a better feel from the Craft, it's workings, symbols and intentions as the accusations against Freemasonry are dealt with, one by one.